


It Means Hope.

by aristocraticpapyrus



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Angst, Character Study, DCEU elements, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Alternating, Superman AU, Tags Are Hard, Tags May Change, thank you henry cavill
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-20
Updated: 2020-01-21
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:07:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22334671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aristocraticpapyrus/pseuds/aristocraticpapyrus
Summary: Bertholdt had never felt like he belonged, in more ways than one. It was hard enough being an introvert, lanky and second guessing everything he did. Every kid his age had insecurities. They didn't have to deal with the prospect of not being human however. Alone and feeling unsure of who he really is, Bertholdt takes to the internet where he finds out that he may not be as alone as he first thought.A tale of two boys sent away from a dying planet, bestowed with god like abilities and no where else to turn to but each other. Suddenly thrown into a journey of heartache, self discovery, love and loss; Bertholdt and Reiner must face the hardships together of what it really means to be human.
Relationships: Reiner Braun/Bertolt Hoover
Comments: 3
Kudos: 10





	1. Look to the Stars

**Author's Note:**

> This is not a copy and paste of the man of steel plotline. It merely takes elements from Clark's original story. That being said, the elements used may not be entirely accurate to DC so do not take this as an accurate DC universe retelling. This is inherently an SNK story, with elements of Superman and superhero type aesthetics thrown in.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* Bertholdt *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

  
  
It had started off small. He wasn’t quite sure when it had begun, but the day it first showed itself stuck in his mind. He didn’t know what to call it, the feeling inside. He treated it like an entity. Something he could not control. It had scared him to begin with, but being the curious child he was, he tried to understand it. His childlike sense of what it was quickly disappeared, for it grew stronger.

It was a disease of the mind. 

It was made obvious to Bertholdt as a child that he wasn’t normal. He wasn’t like the other children at school. He didn’t need the gaping difference between them to tell him that. He thought differently, saw the world in a different light. Literally and metaphorically. He was different.

It had been like a flashing across his eyes. Something bright and unfamiliar. It was like grey flashes of nothingness and everything had gone cold for a few seconds. The colour had been completely sapped from the classroom. It had terrified him, leaving him wandering to the bathrooms and holding his head in his hands. It was small, a fluke. It could have been overlooked. As a six year old, it hadn’t occurred to him that it was something real. He thought he was going mad. 

When summer rolled on that year, it was like some kind of dream. Lying out in the corn fields around his family home was no strange feat, he did it all the time. That year had been different though. It was like he could hear every gentle rustle of corn against its shells. The heat from the sun, he basked in it like he didn’t care about getting burnt. He had always held a strange fascination with the sun. It seemed healthy at the time. His small hands reaching out to the ball of heat like it was calling to him. His parents had just watched from the front porch, wondering and waiting. People sometimes asked if Bertholdt came from another country. His skin had become golden brown as he aged, though he had already had a darker skin tone than most. His skin held some kind of radiance that could only come from laying in the sun for hours. Any day the sun was shining, his parents knew where he would be.

Being in the sun was like some kind of escape. Bertholdt knew that humans gained energy from the sun, vitamin D. For him though, it was like something else entirely. The heat that came with the South American sun was like the perfect blanket. Never smothering and not too claustrophobic either. He felt good after sitting in the light, just turning his head up to the sky and sitting there. It was like his batteries were charged or something. As a child, the excuse was that he was soaking up all the energy he needed to be big and strong. As a teenager, his reason was because he felt somehow oddly connected to the sun. Like it was calling to him. It was an escape from the life he had. His parents had always wondered why he never seemed to burn, though they knew deep down to expect things like this. Bertholdt’s skin didn’t burn, it only darkened beautifully like he was destined to bask in the rays forever.

It wasn’t a bad life, he wouldn’t use that word. His parents did their best to accommodate for the son they had. A son that as he grew older, seemed increasingly more unable to deal with what most kids called puberty. Others his age had it easy. They didn’t have to deal with sleepless nights due to the sound of the ticking clock driving you insane, the clock that was downstairs and pushed as far into the corner of the living room as possible. They didn’t have to deal with the fact that panic attacks feel like heart attacks, where Bertholdt would have no choice but to lock himself in a cubicle and wait until the whispering would die down. 

It was like his senses were turned up to eleven and he couldn’t focus on anything. His blood would be pumping in his ears, his hands shaking and the bones showing through. Why was he able to see the insides of his hands? 

Perhaps the worst thing for him was taking the hits and not fighting back. He knew he could, that was the hard part. A tall, lanky, nerdy boy who lived on a farm didn’t have any friends growing up. He had no one to come and save him, only the other kids who might have felt sorry for him. It hurt, getting laughed at and knowing he could send them flying. He was so much stronger than the other kids in his town. He had found out after his mother was going to be trapped under the falling water tower they had on their land. She would have died if it were not for Bertholdt’s keen senses and insane strength. Holding the tower while she scrambled out had been an awakening. He had looked to his parents, expecting gratitude but his parents only looked more worried for him. Their son, he could do amazing things. Things he shouldn’t be able to do. 

In high school, it had gotten easier to deal with the taunts. It hadn’t gotten any easier to accept the fact that he was alone. Bertholdt was alone in a world full of human beings. He didn’t know it yet but he was so much more than just different and alone. He was special, as his mother said. A gift from God. 

It felt more like a curse to Bertholdt. He could never understand as a lonely teenager why the world would decide he deserved to be this way. He could lift things that no normal human should be able to lift. Sometimes, his eyes would be burning with a headache that felt deeply ingrained in the back of his eyes. He would never forget the day he rubbed his hands on his face, only to think that the skin on his fingers had been burned off with some kind of insane heat before the skin suddenly reappeared again. 

It felt like something stupid out of a comic book. He refused to read them, they only indulged him. He was not like a superhero. Superheroes were brave after all. 

His condition hindered him, held him back. The humans would be scared of him, because he was not human. Humans fear what they do not understand. People were scared of him after his numerous breakdowns in the classrooms. 

  
_  
_ _I am not human. If I am not human, then what am I?_

  
  


Those were the words he had uttered to his father, fists shaking and heart beating in his ears. On his 15th birthday, he had found out that he really wasn’t human after all. It shouldn’t have been as shocking when he looked back on it. No human would ever be capable of what he could do, only someone remarkable and not of this world. Someone god like. Why him? 

He didn’t have much to say when his father hauled it out. It was a capsule, tiny really. It was covered in grime, dirt and cobwebs. Something his parents had locked away and not looked at for years. Clearly not since the day...he arrived. He had run his hands over the cool metal, it was like he could feel it reacting under his touch. It was enough to bring tears to his eyes, burning tears. He had felt alone before, but not like this. This was the answer he had been looking for, but he wanted to reject the idea. The capsule had come with a key. It was old, jagged but cut with precision. A symbol was engraved on the top. It looked like an S. The symbol didn’t ignite any memories or emotions like his father had been hoping. Bertholdt had just stared at it blankly, handing it back to his father. He didn’t want any part of this.

His father had been nice about it, saying that he was the answer not just Bertholdt had been looking for, but the entire world. 

_You are the answer, Bert. The answer to the question everyone asks themselves. Are we alone in the universe?_

It was an answer. It was something that only served to remind him that he was not one of them. Why was he here and not up there? Where did he come from? Who were his real parents? It seemed that the one answer he had been given struck a million more questions in his mind. They were questions that no 15 year old should have to answer. It was like having a crisis. A midlife crisis that would never end. He had cried more than he usually would that night. The tears burning his skin, making him wish that this was all some awful nightmare. Bertholdt knew it wasn’t a nightmare though. He had been living this hell for as long as he could remember. 

It was a cruel destiny. One given to him for a reason, maybe. A life of pain and loneliness wrapped up in the facade of a gift. He could have lived the life of anyone, but he was given this chance. The chance to be and do something greater. He could take a hit and not stagger. He could see through things, hear a whisper from the end of the hallway. He could run so far he wondered if he would ever tire. His breath sometimes felt so cold that the puffs of air would crystallise before his eyes. He could help people, but would they accept him? What was he to do? It was so hard to think about that he just refused to. He wanted to be a normal boy. If he could be like everyone else, then maybe he wouldn’t feel so alone. 

He couldn’t just ignore this though. Aliens were among the populace. He was the subject matter of so many fictional stories. Comic books told stories of people who could fly, people who could lift ten times their weight and people who saved others with their gifts. Bertholdt couldn’t see himself as a hero. Maybe though, he could do something somewhere else. If he wasn’t human, then why keep pretending to be one?

When Bertholdt turned 21, he had nowhere else to turn to. He had nowhere else to go but up. He had spent enough nights looking up at the stars and wondering what could be up there. He thought about where it was that he could have come from. The sea of constellations was just the beginning. Maybe he came from an entirely different galaxy altogether. He had no place here. He needed to find his reason for being alive. 

He had done enough questioning, worrying and wondering. He had no life here, not in Kansas. He had _never_ been destined for a life here, but clearly it was the one he had been given. There must be a reason why. There must be a reason he was here. He had crash landed here as a baby after all. No one would send their child away without good reason.

He wouldn’t be able to sleep happy until he figured that out. 

\-------

So, it was his 21st today. He took out his laptop. His fingers hovering over the keyboard and wondering where to start. It all felt rather silly. He had never considered just searching it up. He had been scared of what he would find. 

Doing the most obvious thing, he had looked up alien conspiracy theories. They were so cheesy and almost charming in their own weird way. They were far from what Bertholdt was looking for. As to what he was looking for exactly, he wasn’t sure until he saw it staring at him on the screen. A newspaper article from a town on the coast of Oregan. It was something he had been looking for what felt like his entire life. His eyes gently widened as he read the title. 

_“Man dubbed as local hero after saving two school buses of children from disaster with his bare hands”_

  
  


If someone could do that, then maybe they could do other things too. Bertholdt was sure if he tried, like he should have many times before, he could save people. He could stop a bus, he could walk into fire, he could withstand a bomb. He was fairly sure about that last one at least. It got him thinking, and he kept searching. He was on the edge of the bed, a weird feeling coursing through him as he found more news articles from odd sources. A man who was travelling, covering his tracks and saving people’s lives as he went. There was someone out there doing what he couldn’t. Doing what he never did. This person was using their...gifts for good. He knew it could be a farce, but if Bertholdt wanted to get out of the vicious cycle he had going on then this seemed like the best way. He wanted to get out of Kansas, get out of the farm house, get as far away from this world as he could. 

So when his father saw him the following morning with a duffle bag and car keys in hand, it was a bit more than surprising. He had rehearsed what he was going to say. He was going to take the truck and drive. He was going to drive until he reached the coast, until he felt he had found what he was looking for. He had a funny feeling that he needed to hurry as well. When he turned to his father, however, his words were lost. 

His father didn’t seem to have much words either. He didn’t look particularly worried or annoyed. He actually looked like he understood what was going on. He had always been more insightful than Bertholdt had ever been. Seeming to understand his son more than anyone.

“Are you leaving?” 

Those three words had stuck in Bertholdt’s mind since he left. He hadn’t been able to do anything but let the bag drop to the ground and give his father a hug. He was subconsciously thinking it could be the last time he hugged him. He wasn’t sure if he planned on coming back any time soon. He needed to say something though. Despite Bertholdt feeling like he had no place here, his parents had done what they could for him. He was never their son, but they were the best parents he could have asked for. Even if his mother wasn’t with them anymore. He would be eternally grateful to them. Hence why he hugged his father close, sighing before pulling away. His head turned away in dismay. 

“Yes, I don’t know when I will be coming back. But I will.” 

His father seemed to understand. Bertholdt would look back on this moment and be forever happy that this didn’t have to be difficult. 

“Remember to take it with you. The key” was his next words of wisdom. 

The key, the one left in the capsule. It was made of an element that had no place on the periodic table. The ending so jagged with the symbol on the top. It was cold to the touch but Bertholdt still had it looped around a string. It laid against his chest, under his shirt. He laid his hand upon where he could feel the thick outline. He nodded his head, giving a pained smile. He didn’t know if he could stand to look on the inside of the house any longer so he quickly stepped back before pulling the bag back and over effortlessly. 

The steps outside creaked under his weight. He was quick to place the bag in the back of his truck. It was rusty, it never really got used. He just hoped it was going to take him from the middle of Kansas to Oregan. He was about to open the door but something stopped him. He was staring down at the handle before he looked back to where he knew his father was watching from the front step. 

They may not be related by blood, but Erik was the one who decided to take Bertholdt in. He had dragged the baby out. He had been the one who insisted that Bertholdt was going to make it. Erik was better than the parents, if he actually had any, who had sent him here in the first place. Bertholdt had so much he wanted to say in that one moment. Words of gratitude, love and affirmation. Nothing felt right in his head. He could choose to say whatever he liked, but nothing held the weight he was feeling. 

It felt wrong to leave so suddenly, but he needed to leave. He had no time to waste, he would be wasting time by staying. He had no life here but he would have something to return to when he did. He wouldn’t return until he found his purpose. He had no idea how long that was going to take, but it was like a promise to himself. He wouldn’t return until he felt worthy of doing so. 

“I’ll come back. I promise” Bertholdt’s hand was clenching the door handle so much he figured it was denting. His father believed firmly that his son didn’t need to worry about coming home. He had nothing here but a farm and some guy who had found him in a field. Bertholdt planned on coming home no matter what he found, he would have nothing without the farm and the man who had found him in the field. 

“What do you hope to find?”

Bertholdt gulped, slowly. His eyes wandered over the house, a place where memories were made but he would carry them with him. He would always have home with him, and he was going out there to make more memories. Whatever life was going to throw his way, he knew he would take it like he had been taking punches his whole life. He wouldn’t lose his footing, he wouldn’t give up and he wouldn’t stagger. He couldn’t afford to stay at home when there was possibly someone out there like him. Even if this person did nothing but shut him out, he needed to know. 

“I want to find the truth, Dad. You know what I mean. If...if I could just find something that makes a bit of sense, it would mean the world to me. It could mean the whole universe, since its useless thinking so small” Bertholdt opened the car door, leaning on the side before seeing his father give a resounding nod. He understood. 

It was emotional pulling away. Something as simple as putting the truck in reverse made a sound that went right through his ears. He needed to do this, if not for his own sake then maybe for this other person. It was maybe another lost soul like his own. This mystery man he had heard about was on some kind of mission. Maybe he was looking for a purpose as well. 

If Bertholdt could do one thing right, maybe it would be this. Just because the house got smaller in the mirror as he drove away, it didn’t mean he was leaving it behind. For now though, moving forwards and upwards felt like his only option.

  
  


_Instead of keeping your sights locked on the sun, look to the stars, and reach for them._

\------

The drive was shorter than he thought it would be. A day and a half and he was in Oregon. He was a pretty bad driver. He didn’t need a map or anything. He followed his senses. He was heading towards the sea where the air would be clearer and crisper. He could follow the signs. As he neared the coast it was like his heart was tugging on something. It felt right to be here. Something here was calling to him, much like the sun. This was a different call though. It was exciting and scary at the same time.

The drive had given him the vital time he needed to think about what he was going to say. He had never assumed that someone could be like him, and now it was really happening. He could be preparing for the worst, like he usually would, but this time he was ready to make a stand. If this man proved to be real, then he would not back down. How on earth was he going to convince him though? First, he would have to find out his name and where he lived in the town. From there on, he would just have to be careful and make his purpose clear. Surely this person must be going through the same sort of thing. They would listen. 

As he got closer, the air moving around the truck got saltier and colder but it was nice. It was blowing his hair about gently. It was another thing so simple yet so resounding for him. He never had the feeling of being on the open road like this, it was so freeing. Driving with a stop in mind but no real destination. Who knew where he was going to go after this. It was best to keep an open mind. He couldn’t deny the bundle of nerves that was settling into his stomach as he drove into the town he recognised as the one in the article. He parked near a woods that seemed to overlook the town. It was a fishing village, airish but bright. There were lots of people going about. If Bertholdt wasn’t here on personal business, he might have taken some time to look around. This was deeply personal business, something that needed to be handled before anything else. So, Bertholdt made a point of heading to all the points of contact he could think of with a copy of a few articles printed out. 

_“Fishing crew saved from doomsday situation”_

_“Two school buses miraculously stopped from skidding off cliff”_

_“My saviour, does anyone know who he is?”_

It had been hard to pinpoint whether this man was here or not. Most of the stories had come from here, but Bertholdt had found articles leading him across the entire coast. Whoever he was, he couldn’t stay in one place. He was making a poor effort of covering his tracks, being reckless wherever he went. It was like he didn’t care if people knew. 

Bertholdt was firm with his words. Polite but he refused to stutter or waste time. He was on his feet for hours going between shops, houses and the local radio station but he didn’t grow tired. There was no way he could be tired when he was getting a clearer picture of this man with every person he spoke to. 

“Oh, yeah! That’s Reiner I think. I haven’t seen him for a while sweetheart but he lives up beside the lighthouse” was what a lovely lady had told him. Bertholdt had gained mixed reactions from people when he asked after this man. Some people didn’t know who he was. Others were ecstatic, saying he was a godsend or a protected treasure of the town. However, Bertholdt met this one guy who seemed to be scared when he mentioned the name. Apparently, this Reiner guy had broken his arm when they were kids while barely touching him. The more that was unfolding about this man, the more Bertholdt could feel himself finding familiarity. 

“He never had many friends” 

“He was a bit of an aggressive one, dangerous”

“I haven’t seen him in ages, he’s a social recluse” 

“Don’t go looking for him, you’re wasting your time”

It was starting to become a growing worry though that what Bertholdt had been seeking was long gone. He didn’t care if his palms were hot, if his brow was sweating or the fact that he was starting to hear the rustling of the leaves from inside the car. He needed to know if his answer was here or not. So he drove up to where mostly everyone who even knew Reiner said he lived. The house was small and reclusive looking. It was away from the town and beside a lighthouse. When he stepped out of the car, the first thing Bertholdt could do was step closer to the edge of the cliff. 

The sea. 

He could see the sea. He had never seen it before until now. The sound of the crashing waves was immense and more than anything he could have imagined. He should have figured he’d see the ocean but it had never crossed his mind. Standing so close to the edge of the cliff made him wonder what would happen if he walked on over. Would he die? Would a fall from this height into the water kill him or would he be fine? He had never really tested such a thing but he suddenly remembered he didn’t want to die today when he heard a door opening from behind him. He whipped around on the balls of his feet before taking a few quick steps away from the edge. His eyes immediately went over to the front door of the house. No normal person would have been able to hear the sound of the door opening from 50 feet away along with the crashing waves, but Bertholdt definitely could. Especially since his senses were on edge. 

A mix of unbridled excitement and nerves were setting in now as Bertholdt made out the image of someone watching him from the door. His mouth was dry and eyes wide as his feet started taking him across the patch of land that led to the house. He could make out every crease on this guy’s confused brow, every narrowing of his eyes and also the fact that as he got closer there was a car running. 

This man, who he could assume as Reiner was looking increasingly more worried as he took more steps towards him. He was soon enough standing in front of him, mouth hanging open and with nothing to say. He had come this far, and it was almost impossible to get the words out. 

Reiner was somehow not what he was expecting. He was young looking, no older than himself he would say. He had a strong build and he was almost as tall as Bertholdt. Reserved. Taut muscles. Short, cropped hair. Heavy boots on. An annoyed look on his face. Golden eyes, like the sun. 

“Can I help you? Are you lost?” a thin, blonde eyebrow quirked up. 

That should be an easy question. Bertholdt wasn’t lost in the way that Reiner meant, so he just shook his head slowly. He was right where he wanted to be. He didn't know how he could tell but it felt like this point in time was where he needed to be. 

“A-are you Reiner?” Bertholdt asked quickly, all but shoving the newspaper articles into the other man’s arms. 

Reiner’s eyes widened when the papers were shoved at him. He sighed and took them with a rough snatch. He looked down to them and rolled his eyes. It was yet another snoopy ass reporter. 

“I’m not answering any of your questions, alright? So do me a favour and drive back to whatever newspaper hired you” Reiner was quick to shove the papers back and turn his back to him, not caring that Bertholdt had dropped them all and was letting them flutter away in the wind. 

“Wait! I’m not a reporter!” Bertholdt cried out, rushing out to grab Reiner’s shoulder and pull him back. That was the second sign in Reiner’s head that something wasn’t right. The first was that for some reason, he was getting a feeling from this stranger. An intriguing feeling. He had been standing as stiff as a rock and yet he was pulled back. He never staggered or lost his footing when it came to others. And this guy, this tall lanky guy had managed to pull him back. It was honestly pretty scary. Bertholdt must be pretty strong, _really_ strong. 

“Who the hell do you think you are?” Reiner’s eyes flashed with anger as he shrugged off Bertholdt’s hand and turned around fully to square up. He had to look up into this man’s eyes which made him lose some of his usual Bruan confidence. It would soon be replaced by confusion. 

Bertholdt took a cautious step back, his hands coming up to his chest in surrender. 

“My...my name is Bertholdt. You stopped two buses from falling off a cliff when you were 16. You were on that bus, right? You saved your classmates from dying!” 

His words only seemed to be aggravating Reiner more, so he quickly got to his point despite him feeling like his plan was falling apart at the seams. 

“I might not have been as heroic as you, but I’ve saved people too. I can run for miles without getting breathless, and could stop a bus if I tried. I can melt things with my eyes if I concentrate, though it hurts really bad. And I am pretty sure I can see through things?” he rushed out. 

That was the third sign for Reiner that something was very _very_ off. He was used to getting reporters snooping in every now and then. It was why the car was running. This was different. It wasn’t every day that someone came here, claiming to be able to do the same things as him. In fact, it had never happened to him before. It had never occurred to him that that could be a thing. 

“Am I supposed to believe you?” Reiner tilted his head. This man, Bertholdt, had piqued his interest but he wasn’t expecting this to last much longer. This could easily be some kind of trick or a delusional lunatic. To Bertholdt, this was the moment he had been waiting for. If Reiner really was like him, then he wouldn’t need to prove himself by ripping out a tree from the ground. He had all the proof he needed right next to his heart. He didn’t hesitate to pull the string over from his neck, holding out the key. His hand was shaking, the key being held out for Reiner to see. It was enough to leave Reiner speechless. 

So gingerly, like the key was made of glass, did Reiner take the key from Bertholdt’s hand and lift it up to his eyes. Bertholdt couldn’t tell what was going through the blonde’s head but he could assume he had hit the jackpot by showing him it. His own eyes widened when Reiner ran to his car. He gasped, quickly following before Reiner had whipped back around with something in his hand. It was a key, much like Bertholdt’s. 

Bertholdt gulped gently as he held his hands out for his key. They both held their one against each other, turning them over and then looking at the symbol. It matched perfectly. He placed a hand over his mouth, tears threatening to already develop at this turn. He was right. Bertholdt had been right to think that there must have been something more to this. There must be something more to this existence of his. He hadn’t even thought to consider the fact that not all answers would come from space. 

It was entirely possible that the answer he needed was right here. It didn’t have to lay out in some cold pocket of space he could never reach. The answer could be right here. It had been here all this time. Lying in wait for Bertholdt to find.

He looked to Reiner with wide eyes. 

“You have one too” 

His voice came out as barely a whisper. Even though the sounds of the ocean were quite high and the wind was whipping their hair around, Reiner could hear the words perfectly. Bertholdt’s eyes were flitting between the keys in their hands and Reiner’s worried face. He was looking for some kind of recognition or a flashing in his eyes. 

He didn’t even know him, and they had somehow found themselves intrinsically linked. They had been connected this whole time and never knew. It felt like a huge boulder that Bertholdt had been carrying around for years was starting to crumble. The loneliness, the despair, the desire to do more. This meeting might change all of that. If they really did come from the same place, then it answered more than Bertholdt ever thought he would know.  
  
Reiner tore his eyes away from the keys to look to Bertholdt, his golden eyes staring into green ones. 

“What...what did you say your name was again?” 

\------


	2. We're not Alone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologise for the jumpiness. This will probably be edited someday. I have no idea if anyone is even going to read this but kudos to those who do! You're all super special to me.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* Reiner *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Reiner was content being on his own. He had never needed anyone. Not as a child, and certainly not now. He had what some might call a troubled upbringing. The problems that had stemmed from his childhood followed him into teenage and adulthood. The car was running outside for a number of reasons. This town, this hell hole, was too small. People here were simple-minded and old fashioned. He was used to the way of life that came with being raised in a close-knit fishing community. He was strong, very strong in both physical strength and mental resilience. He had to have thick skin. As a child, he had had no choice but to stand there and take a lot of what was thrown his way. The spray that came off of the sea felt like sandpaper against his skin every morning. The sea in which he supposedly came from. 

Reiner’s first real memory was drowning. As a baby, being locked away in the capsule in which he was brought herein. His mother told him the little ship had crashed into the ocean, not far off the side of the northern cliffs. Everyone had seen something that looked like a shooting star, but his mother and father were the only ones who went to see what had fallen. Nothing ever happened in their small village. Yet, an angel had fallen that day. Or a spawn of the devil as his father described him. He had told Maureen to let the baby drown. Any baby that comes down from heaven like that in a carcass so alien and foreign-looking should not be allowed to be in this world. Reiner was the mistake of the Braun family. He never should have been taken out of the capsule. He had done nothing but cause trouble ever since.

Reiner didn’t enjoy picking fights. Ideally, he liked to avoid conflict as much as possible. Sometimes though, especially growing up, being different just made it hard to avoid confrontation. Whether he was fighting with his father or standing up for himself in the schoolyard, he never backed down from a fight in which he was the one being attacked. He had the power to say no, so he did. He had the power to show the other kids they should be afraid of hurting him, so he showed them. He wanted to be like a superhero, so he fully intended on becoming one. It wasn’t his fault that he caused trouble. Trouble just seemed to follow him like a curse. He struggled to control the powers he developed. As a young child, the idea of being different was as terrifying as it was cool. Reiner liked to hold the fact that he was close to his heart. The other kids couldn’t hold a candle to the fire that burned inside of him. He refused to take a hit without hitting back. Some kids had gotten hurt along the way, but Reiner had saved more than he had damaged. The amount of times families had come knocking at the Braun door saying that their child was traumatised by something Reiner had done had gone into the double digits. He would just sit there, a small smile on his face. He was proud that he could stand up for himself. He wanted to stand up for those who couldn’t. He wanted the respect, the adoration, the acknowledgement that he could do something amazing that he never received from his parents.

Reiner had woken up this morning after having planned his journey until it was perfect. There was no holes, no loops, nothing could go wrong. He had scouted the area he was heading towards many times now. It was far up the west coast but it had attracted the attention of journalists and scientists alike. It was a cold hunk of metal, apparently over 8000 years old. Unknown to the public, it was locked away under ice and people were trying to pry their way into it. It disgusted Reiner to his core. Of course, humanity would be naturally curious about it. It was signs of possibly an ancient civilisation. Reiner knew it was so much more than that, it was a calling card from his home. His real home. These people were attacking the one thing his people left behind, and all for the money. 

How was Reiner so sure about this? 

He had no real reason to know it was all true. He was running on instinct, a feeling. For the longest time, he had known there must be something here on this planet. A baby doesn’t just fall from the sky one day without reason. Reiner was hardly doing this for the good of mankind. Sure, he was happy that he could use his abilities along the way to help people. It was what he knew he was born to do. He had these powers for a reason. He was doing this more for himself though. He needed to know if he was right. He needed any excuse he could get his hands on to leave this place.    


Oregan held no purpose for him. That was drilled into him by his father from a young age. He was never accepted by his family. His powers, which grew stronger by the day, had scared them. His father believed it was some kind of cruel punishment for accepting a child such as Reiner into their home. It sickened Reiner that his father thought he was the one who was cursed when in reality his father didn’t have to put up with half as many troubles as Reiner did.

Reiner had to put up with the sound of the waves outside pummeling into his brain. He had lost count of the times where he would be left to do nothing but cradle his knees and hold his hands over his ears. The whispers, the heartbeats, the flipping of a page. They drove him insane. His powers revealed themselves in huge bursts. He had scared his father the day he pushed the older man away from his mother. He had pushed him so hard he was sent flying into the kitchen counter. His mother may not have been the best mother but she didn’t deserve the harsh treatment she got from her husband. Reiner had stood and watched her take the beatings for him for too long. He could take the hit, he could hit back twice as hard. His father didn’t like it when he fought back. Anyone would be scared of a child that was capable of what Reiner could do. His golden eyes had been an inferno when he pushed his father back in the centre of his chest. 

_ You could have killed me! He could have killed us, Maureen! Don’t you see? He’s the devil incarnate! _

Reiner could handle the physical punishments he received on a weekly basis. That day had been hard though. He didn’t want to be shut in the basement again so he promised not to lay a hand on his father ever again. Not that a basement could ever really hold him for long. It was the darkness that he didn’t like. 

He didn’t know what he had done to make his father so enraged with his very existence. Sure, he was a troublemaker but every boy his age liked to have fun. For some reason, any hint of Reiner being proud of his abilities was met with a smack or a degrading comment. As a child, the words had made him sink low into a cycle of hatred and fear. Being locked in his room was a feeble attempt at punishment. Reiner could just bust the door down, but where would that get him? He had started to take the punishments just to keep his father off his back. The only form of punishment that really got through to Reiner was shutting him away in the dark. Once he hit teenage years, he grew more mature. He stayed quiet and just plotted the day he would escape. He kept reading the comic books and kept holding onto hope. The hope that one day everything would fall into place. He knew he was holding out for something. One day he would meet his Mary Jane or Pepper Potts. Heck, maybe one day he would just meet a partner in crime like Robin to his Batman. Someone just like him. 

He lost faith in finding someone as he grew older. He didn’t need anyone else but himself. He was strong-willed and determined. He was ready to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders. He would carry the burden of being a hero for those who had no one to fight for them. He was given these abilities for a reason, he needed to do something. From the day he first helped a kid who was getting beat up in the yard, to saving the school buses from falling down the cliff. He could save people. He was ready for the world to see him for who he was. Not a freak, not a devil, nor a horror. He could be an angel like his mother said the day before she killed herself. 

Super strength? Check

Super speed? Check

Flight? Haven’t tried but don’t want to risk it

X-ray vision? Check

Heightened senses? A big fat check

Ice breath? Check

(Leaving the rest of this page blank for more awesome powers)

That was Reiner’s little checklist he had made as a child. He would stay up all night reading the comic books he got from the school or stole from the library. Tales of justice, far off places and gifted people. They were what gave Reiner hope when his parents wanted to stamp out every last shred of it. He had grown a thick skin as a child, he had no choice. He refused to give in to the likes of his father, and he just wanted to make his mother proud. He wondered if she regretted pulling him out of the sea that day. Some days he really does think he should have died that day. In the end, Reiner knows he has something incredible inside of him. No matter what his father said, or the looks his mother gave him when she thought he wasn’t looking. No matter what, he knows he needs to do something with his life. People are dying, the world is in chaos and in desperate need of a revelation. 

Reiner wanted to be a  _ hero _ . 

Call it a complex or some desire to be respected like his parents never did, he wanted to be loved and he wanted to save people. He had the opportunity to do so, he just needed to take it. The only thing holding him back was himself. Many nights he had spent looking out onto the ocean, wondering if this was it. Life couldn’t just be this village and his horrible parents. The only reason the capsule hadn’t been burned down and thrown out was that the metal couldn’t be burnt. His father had tried. Reiner had reached into the capsule that day, skin unphased as he ripped out the key he knew existed. His parents could try and hide his lineage from him but he wasn’t stupid. He wasn’t of this world. So, he wanted to find the world where he did belong. The one that gave birth to him and spit him back out to live on this dump. Once he found that he would have a purpose. Once he had a purpose, there would be no one and nothing to stop him from being a hero. Nothing was going to stand in his way of finding where he came from. Above all, no one was going to stop him from opening the eyes of the world to the wonder that was the unknown. He wanted to be found out, leaving traces of a vigilante in his wake for the reporters to snoot out. Of course, he had underestimated just how much this would impact his life. 

Hence why the car was running. He was going to leave all of his problems behind and he never wanted to come back. 

His perfect plan was laid out before him. No one was going to stand in his way. 

Except, there was someone standing in his way. 

Bertholdt, he called himself. This man he had never met was standing in his doorway, claiming to be just like him. Reiner would never believe such trivial bullshit. He was alone in this world, there was no way there could be someone else like him. The thought had crossed his mind as a child but the hope had been quickly stomped out. He liked to think that if someone like him had existed out there, he would have known about it. Whether by some instinctive feeling, he would have felt it. Reiner didn’t have much time to disagree with himself before he had questioned the brunette and received his answer in the form of a key. 

Bertholdt’s hands were shaking as he handed over the key. For the first time ever, Reiner felt what it meant to truly have hope in his heart. A key like this couldn’t be forged, not when the symbols matched so perfectly and the metal felt the same. This key that Bertholdt had really was the same as the one Reiner had. It was like all the sharp noises of the ocean fell deaf on his ears. Holding the two keys against each other made Reiner realise something. Something he never thought would have been possible. 

He had someone else to go on this journey with. He didn’t have to traverse this alone. His initial thought had been one of concern. If there was someone like him, then clearly they were here by no accident. They both shared something in common. It didn’t stop Reiner from feeling apprehensive about the whole thing. Someone out there had sent two babies hurtling towards Earth, maybe even more and they just didn’t know it.

He looked back to Bertholdt with wide eyes. “What...what did you say your name was again?” 

Reiner hadn’t forgotten the boy’s name. He didn’t think he would ever be able to forget this moment. He just needed to hear the other talk so he knew he wasn’t some kind of weird dream. He couldn’t get a good read of Bertholdt, but he could tell the brunette was shaking and anxious and excited at the same time. Who knows how far he travelled just to see Reiner. He must have picked up on the trail Reiner had left. Bertholdt had followed his trace to this spot. If that wasn’t determination then Reiner didn’t know what was. 

“Bertholdt! My name is Bertholdt. I...I’m really sorry if this is unexpected. Well, obviously it would be unexpected but I didn’t want to waste time on finding you here. I feared...you may have gone on to your next spot or whatever it is you’re doing...” 

Bertholdt could have said a lot more. Reiner wouldn’t have picked up on it. He was stuck just looking up at him, wondering how on earth his life had lead to something like this. It was a miracle. He had never believed in miracles but here was one, standing in front of him. He hadn’t needed to go far to find an answer to one of his many questions. He wasn’t alone in this universe. Bertholdt was saying things but the words weren’t making sense. Reiner could barely hear anything. His world was crashing down around him. He didn’t have a world, he only had his crippling pride and esteem to keep him going. Bertholdt was making him question everything he knew. 

They were one and the same. Two sides of the same coin, two souls linked, two destinies crossing paths, two cuts from the same meat. However Reiner wanted to say it, he and Bertholdt were insanely alike. It was why Bertholdt had been able to tug him back when Reiner had been standing like a tree. 

Bertholdt’s face had started to fall, looking confused and worried. Reiner had just been standing there, zoning out and just focusing on the green in Bertholdt’s eyes. 

“Reiner? Are...you okay?” 

Was he okay? Such a simple question yet there was not a simple answer. He just nodded his head slowly. The feeling that was coursing through his veins was not just an okay feeling. It was exhilarating, terrifying and earth-shattering. He had no doubt in his mind that Bertholdt must be feeling something like it too. He wondered in that second if he and Bertholdt had some kind of link that brought them together or if it really was just pure luck. Either way, he couldn’t be happier. 

“Yes, I’m okay I...I’m more than okay!” Reiner laid his hand on Bertholdt’s shoulder. He didn’t have to be worried about his grip being too strong. 

“Do you know what this means?” Reiner asked, tone incredulous and a smile beginning to creep up his lips. They needed to get out of here. Reiner’s plan was only made with a little bit of wiggle room for setbacks. If he, if they didn't hurry then Reiner’s father would be back from work. He was stealing the car and not planning on ever coming back. 

Bertholdt hummed a little, his heart beating so fast in his chest and his cheeks warming up from the feeling he was getting. It was easy to tell from the look on Bertholdt’s face that he was happy, incredibly so. Reiner could think about nothing else but jumping into the car and asking Bertholdt to come with him. He didn’t care if the taller man was a stranger, someone who had barged in and had no real right to demand Reiner to admit it was him in the articles. He could tell that Bertholdt hadn’t come here for the gossip. He had come here with a personal vendetta. Someone was here for him, and not an interview. Bertholdt was a miracle. 

“This means that…we aren’t alone” Bertholdt uttered out. His voice barely carried over the wind but Reiner needn’t worry about that. He could hear him loud and clear like a siren in a storm. Bertholdt couldn't have been more right. They really weren’t alone. They had each other now. They could go out to the spot Reiner knew together. Discover who they really are together. Reiner suddenly took hold of Bertholdt’s free hand, tugging him towards the car and pointing to the boot where he had all of his bags piled up. Equipment to get through the ice. 

“Come with me!” Reiner said, not letting go of Bertholdt’s hand in case he might just disappear. 

Bertholdt looked over the car, brow furrowing. 

“Where are you going?” he asked, not letting of Reiner’s hand either. 

Reiner was quick to place the key back into the little holder he had for it at the front of the car. He took out his phone on which he showed Bertholdt pictures of the ice fortress a team of scientists had dug up. It was a hunch, Reiner knew that. It couldn’t be a coincidence though. 

“Look! It’s some kind of ship or...old sea vessel. They say it’s over 8000 years old! Journalists have been trying to get close, saying it’s giving off radiation and the locals have been hearing weird noises coming from the ground” Reiner looked back to Bertholdt to see what the brunette was thinking. Though it seemed that Bertholdt was a bit speechless. He was just looking at the picture. This vessel, it looked similar to the ones they had arrived in as babies. It had the same sort of shape. The picture was grainy but Bertholdt was sure it was made of a shiny, almost luminescent metal. It had to be something. 

“What do you think it is?” Bertholdt asked after a few moments of just looking at it. 

“I don’t know” Reiner shook his head, looking at the picture as well. Their minds were beginning to move like clockwork together. They were both thinking the same thing. 

“I think it’s gotta have something to do with us. Surely, it must mean something. I was planning on sneaking in as part of the research team. They were looking for volunteers so I put a name down but I don’t plan on helping them” 

Bertholdt bit on his bottom lip at the thought. It was dangerous and they could get caught. They couldn’t just sit and do nothing though. Reiner didn’t know it but this was the moment Bertholdt had been waiting for his entire life. 

“Of course I’ll go with you! I...I have no reason to not do so. I came here for a reason, I can’t go back home now!” Bertholdt smiled shakily. He gripped the key in his hand, slipping it back over his head. Reiner had his key like a literal keyring. Bertholdt seemed to wear it like a necklace. That wasn’t such a terrible idea. He nodded firmly back at the brunette. 

“We need to hurry then. I didn’t plan on this happening. I figured I’d be long gone by now” Reiner said as he reluctantly let go of Bertholdt’s hand to lock the door of his house. He didn’t know why he was locking it. His father would just come home and open it anyway. It was more for himself. Locking away all the awful memories inside and starting anew. He curled his fist around the house key, only to whip around and throw the keys into the ocean. The throw had sent the keys flying. Bertholdt’s eyes were wide at the show of strength. Reiner was the real deal after all. 

“Maybe, um, since we’re going pretty far it might be best to take my car” Bertholdt suggested timidly. 

Reiner looked to him and raised an eyebrow. His eyes glanced from the car to the truck Bertholdt had arrived in. True, a truck would be more useful and at least he wouldn’t have to steal the car. He gave a firm nod to him, humming in confirmation. Reiner had no intentions of half-assing this. If he wanted to do this right then he was willing to make changes to the plan. Bertholdt being the biggest change, but not unwelcome. He would fully embrace this change. If it meant he didn’t have to make the journey alone, and he could have someone by his side, then he would take on any change that came his way. 

“Help with me with the bags then,” Reiner said as he opened up the boot and took two of the bags over his arms. They would be heavy by normal people’s standards but to them, they barely weighed a thing. Reiner was amazed at how well Bertholdt could lift the bags and place them in the back beside his own. Reiner shouldn’t have expected anything less from someone like him. Bertholdt might just be the key Reiner had been looking for. The key to the capsule only unlocked one thing, as far as he knew. Bertholdt represented something else entirely. A key to a million doors and more. All of the pent up anger, abuse and self-hatred Reiner had been harbouring all these years didn’t matter anymore. 

“Do you mind if I drive?” Reiner asked after they made sure all of the belongings Reiner had wanted to take with him were in the truck. Bertholdt shook his head. 

“No, please do. I’m a terrible driver” Bertholdt chuckled lightly. 

Huh. Bertholdt had a pretty nice laugh. Reiner was sure he would have plenty of time to get to know Bertholdt once they were safely out on the open road. For now, he took Bertholdt’s word and hopped in the driver’s seat. The truck was so old but Reiner knew how to drive it. He was careful with the gears unlike he would be in his father’s car. This was Bertholdt’s truck, the one he had driven to the point where the tank was almost empty. It felt like it had a charm to it. 

Leaving the lighthouse, the village and his family behind didn’t hurt Reiner nearly as much as he was expecting. Maybe it was because he had a new motive. He wasn’t leaving with so much hatred fueling him. He wouldn’t be able to forget the horrors he went through as a child. At least though he wasn’t gripping the wheel because he was angry about it all. He was gripping it so tightly because he was excited. The town growing smaller and smaller in the mirror meant this was hopefully the last time he would ever need to drive out of here. He was excited to start this new chapter of his life. And to think, he had a companion with him. Not just someone to keep him company. Bertholdt was so much more than just a friend tagging along. They would never be able to go back to their normal lives now. They had so much to tell each other. So much to learn and so much to do together. 

Reiner didn’t know what this fortress had in store for them. Maybe it was going to take them someplace far away. Maybe they were destined to live their lives here. Together, they could make something out of it. Reiner had big plans for himself. He didn’t know about Bertholdt but he knew he wanted to be a hero. He wanted to help people and be a symbol of hope. This vessel might just hold the secrets he needed to be that symbol. They might be able to leave this planet altogether. Reiner liked to keep his options open. As long as he wasn’t alone in what he did, he could see a world of possibilities opening up. 

He had a deep sense of his childlike mind coming back to him. He was feeling reminiscent of the days where he would dream about finding someone like him. His hope had been almost diminished of him not being alone, and here Bertholdt was reigniting the flame. 

Once they were on the road together and Reiner was heading to the highway, the nearest petrol station in mind, he looked over to see Bertholdt looking back at him. It seemed that they were both interested in the other, captured in a trance. Reiner had suddenly gone from not having anyone to having someone very special. Reiner wanted to know everything about Bertholdt. How he got here, what his family was like, where he drove from. Everything, they had the time. 

“So, Bertholdt” Reiner smiled as he looked back to the open road, the coast rushing by and his blonde hair whipping around in the wind from the open window. 

“Tell me everything about you” 

Everything was asking a lot for the brunette. They had a long time though. The drive was going to take a few days and they would need sleep at some point. Plus, it wasn’t like Bertholdt had to stop talking and that would be it. Bertholdt had forever to tell him about himself. He didn’t care if they barely knew each other or just met. They were linked like no other two people could be. They couldn’t go back to their separate ways. Bertholdt presented a mystery. One that he wanted all the answers to. They could learn about each other together. The idea of learning and discovering things about themselves didn’t seem too terribly daunting now that they weren’t alone. Reiner could have easily crumbled under the weight if he went alone. He was glad he would get to share his story with someone else who understood. 

“Everything?” Bertholdt hummed. He had been sitting quietly, just admiring the way that Reiner had accepted him so quickly and now they were on the road together to discover something big. He had been a little speechless, not really having any words that could properly portray how he was feeling. If Reiner wanted to know everything about him, he wouldn’t be getting much. However, he decided that if he wanted to know Reiner then it was only fair for him to talk about how he got here. 

“I guess the best place to start would be the day I crashed”

\------


End file.
